As we sit down to plan our future travel destinations, I start wondering about our motivations to travel to cities and one idea that popped up is visiting places when there’s a vegan event going on! Food is a significant reason to travel, and as vegans, we are probably already thinking about all the food we will discover on our travels! Attending one of these vegan festivals in Europe could make our wildest dreams come true ; )
Why attend a vegan festival?
Vegan food festivals are a great opportunity to eat lots of tasty food, sure. But they’re also a chance to check out new and local brands, restaurants, support vegan businesses, and connect with like-minded people! So why not join in the fun celebration where you travel?
If you’re interested in a compassionate way of living, it’s a great chance to learn about plant based eating and get familiar with brands and vegan products currently on market. Travel to attend any one of these vegan festivals in various countries and also learn about different cultures and food!
All the events mentioned here are 100% vegan, which means that all the products and food sold is vegan. The festivals usually span over a day or two and take place annually. They are organized by passionate and dedicated people and activists who want to create positive change in the world. In addition to food stalls, the festivals may offer a variety of activities, such as workshops, cooking demos, speeches, music, fitness and yoga.
Here’s our list of the 7 top festivals, so you can plan and arrange your travels based on this, if you’d like! I will mention the venues and dates where applicable but be sure to check out the linked event pages and social media for confirmed dates and locations.
#1 Vegemessut Helsinki – Finland
Starting with our very own festival here in Helsinki – Vegemessut is the annual vegan fair in town and also known to be the ‘biggest and best vegan food event’ in the Nordics 😉 We go here every year and needless to say, stuff ourselves with good food! It usually takes place over 2 days, in the Cable Factory of Helsinki, not far from the city centre. There is an entry free with which you can enter and try sample goodies from various brands and restaurant stalls.
Organized by Vegetapahtumat, check out their Instagram for info on other events: Vegetapahtumat
There are also games and raffles where you can win stuff or just buy packages of your favourite goodies at a good price! A lot of the are often not in stores yet so it’s a good opportunity to test and buy upcoming vegan goods. We have also had famous speakers in the past events such as Patrick Baboumian. Get an idea of the vibes at Vegemessut in our Instagram clip!
Website and info: Vegemessut
Entry Fee / Tickets: Yes, 12 - 15 EUR
Time & Date: 2 day annual event. Next 26.-28.1.2024
Venue: Kaapelitehdas, Tallberginkatu 1, 00180 Helsinki
#2 Oslo Vegetar Festival – Norway
Another Nordic destination having an annual vegan fair is Oslo, Norway. Organized in a park, at the beginning of summer – the Vegetar Festival is a weekend filled with talks, exhibitors, cooking classes and delicious vegan food of course.
Website and info: Vegetarfest
Entry Fee / Tickets: Yes
Time & Date: A weekend at the beginning of summer
Venue: Kuba park, Oslo, Maridalsveien 20, 0175
#3 Berlin Veganes Sommerfest – Germany
It’s not a surprise that Berlin has the ‘biggest vegan festival in Europe’, being one of the most vegan-friendly cities in the world! This completely vegan event has been held since 2008 and is typically held outdoors during summer. Take part in food-tasting, cooking classes, talks, music and stand up comedy at this action packed event in the German capital. We were in Berlin earlier this year – check out our food finds and travel tips on this Berlin Weekend guide!
Note: neighbouring Belgium and Austria also have their big vegan fairs – check out VSF Ghent and Veganmania!
Website: VeganesSommerfestBerlin
Entry Fee / Tickets: No
Time & Date: 3 day event during summer. This time in June 2023
Venue: Berlin Alexanderplatz
#4 Vegan Nights London – UK
A pretty cool event you might want to check out in London is this one day/night event which launched in 2017 as a one-off night market at the Truman Brewery. The popularity has grown each year with more demand for plant-based parties! All ages and furry friends are welcome here. Boy, I can’t wait to go back to London and attend Vegan Nights one day!
Serving up the freshest plant-based snackery, the opportunity to soak up the good vibes, chill , socialise and party up with our selection of DJs playing the very best in reggae, roots, bashment, grime, house and party classic
Vegan Nights London
Website: VegannightsUK
Entry Fee / Tickets: Yes, 10 - 15 £
Time & Date: one day events around the year
Venue: Truman Brewery, 150 Brick Ln, London E1 6QL, United Kingdom
#5 Vegan Camp Out – UK
Voted UK’s best vegan festival – Vegan Campout is a mega annual vegan event since 2016. Well-known influencer/celebrity/activist speakers such as Earthling Ed, Evanna Lynch, Joey Carbstrong, have given talks here! It’s a camp out, so there are designated camping spots in the field – bring your tents and spend the night over at the festival! Fun! Remember to buy your tickets and reserve a spot well in advance. VegFest UK organises a bunch of other big vegan festivals and events you might want to check out.
Website: Vegan Camp Out, VegFest
Entry Fee / Tickets: Yes vegancampouttickets.com
Time & Date: A weekend in July. Next 26 - 29 July 2024
Venue: Bicester Heritage, Oxfordshire OX26 5HA, United Kingdom
#6 Vegan Life Festival Athens – Greece
Heading to Mediterranean Europe? No worries, the Greek capital has their own vegan festival to check out – The Vegan Life Festival of Athens has been held every year since 2016 and is now the largest vegan happening in Greece, as well as the most visited vegan festival in Europe.
The aim of the Vegan Life Festival is to spread the vegan lifestyle, through talks, workshops, children’s activities, art events, as well as the largest exhibition of vegan products and services in Greece.
Vegan Life
Check out their upcoming events: Vegan Life Greece
Website: veganlife.gr
Entry Fee / Tickets: No
Time & Date: October. Next 30.9 - 1.10.2023
Venue: Technopolis City of Athens, Greece
#7 Veggie Náplavka Prague – Czech
”Welcome to a world where you don’t need to eat animals” – The Veggie Festival of Prague is said to be one of the biggest open air vegan events in Europe. Prague is also a very vegan-friendly city and here you can try all the latest plant-based goodies on offer in the Czech capital! This year they have the 17th event in September.
Facebook Event Page: VeggieNaplavka
Website: veggienaplavka.cz
Entry Fee / Tickets: No
Time & Date: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2023, 11 AM – 8 PM UTC+03
Venue: Náplavka Rašínovo Nábřeží, 128 00 Praha 2, Czechia
Vegan Festivals in Europe..
Nowadays many big cities have their own vegan events and festivals and these were our picks for the biggest and best. So what are you waiting for? Book your tickets and pack your bags for a vegan adventure!
Any other cool vegan events we are missing in Europe? Let us know in the comments and if you’ve been to any one of these!
Our favourite resources for dining and travel planning:
- Abillion – a vegan app that has useful features like finding vegan dishes and products worldwide. Sign up for free with our invite code ‘VEGANHAVEN’. Add your own reviews to raise $ for donation to animal sanctuaries through the app.
- Booking.com* – a great, reliable resource to find plenty of hotels or apartments worldwide. Book your next stay through links on our pages!
- Veggie Hotels – a web portal to find veggie and eco-friendly accommodation around the world. There are so many amazing hotels listed here!
- SkyScanner – useful for finding the best flight route and flight combinations for travels!
- GetYourGuide* – leading travel platform for booking tours, guided sightseeing and adventure activities at a destination. Search their online marketplace and find one to suit you!
*affiliate link
Last updated on August 22nd, 2024
Hello, I am Elli, co-founder of Vegan Life NGO and with my team we are organizing a really big free entrance event in Athens, Greece, since 2016 with more than 35.000 visitors each year. In 2024 our Vegan Life Festival Athens will take place in Technopolis City of Athens, on October 5th and 6th. You are all welcome to join us! Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1303028363910282
Thanks for the info! We were in Athens earlier this year, but next time would love to come for the Vegan Life Festival : )